


The Night We Drank Our Truths 'til Dawn

by Icy_Hot_Soba



Category: Mo Dao Zu Shi, The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 00:56:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20498225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icy_Hot_Soba/pseuds/Icy_Hot_Soba
Summary: Their night began with an innocent drinking game to get to know each other until the group of young adults hear a scream outside their room. Finding a woman and corpse, their night uncovers one secret after another.





	1. Drink or Tell

“That is the most ridiculous idea you’ve had this week,”Jiang Cheng spat at his practical brother who stood before him clenching two bottles of Emperor’s Smile in either hand. Though he knew his words would go unheeded. _Heard yet denied_, it seemed to be a recurring motto he lived by in Wei Wuxian’s presence. At the very least, they currently resided in the Lanling Jin Sect to attend the wedding of Jin Guangyao instead of drinking the forbidden alcohol in Cloud Recesses.

“It’s the best way to pass the time!” Wei Wuxian pleaded as he plopped onto the floor. Crossing his right leg over his left, he placed both bottles on the floor. Wei Ying sported a large grin as Nie Huaisang quickly joined his side with five empty cups, one for every idol body in the room and two who would arrive within the hour: Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, Jin Zixuan, Lan Wangji and himself.

Though for Jiang Cheng, who wanted absolutely no part in their foolish game, he continued to run a clean cloth over his sharpened blade. Sandu glistened in the dimly lit room. The only son of Jiang Fengmian took pride in his appearance, as was expected of him. That was a liberty Wei Wuxian had, being carefree to do and act as he pleased with the protection of his father, but would never truly grasp.

Of course, Wei Wuxian knew the pressure his brother constantly felt, and he often thought Jiang Cheng pushed himself more than he should. That was one reason why Wei Ying remained so childish even after reaching adulthood. As for now, Wei Wuxian wasted no time in filling the small cups to the very brim as he continued to coax Jiang Cheng,”You can ask any of us whatever you want..._nothing_ is off limits.”

“While that is tempting, you may simply refuse the question with a drink, and there is no telling what _you_ will ask me,”Jiang Cheng quickly refuted. He was far too used to his brother’s mischievous antics to allow himself to fall for this simplistic one.

However, Jiang Cheng was not the target of this game. Wei Wuxian had more important people to figure out, ideally one in particular who just so happened to step into the room as they argued. Jin Zixuan walked in first with Lan Wangji close behind. Upon seeing the circle of empty cups, Jin Zixuan furrowed his eyes and kept near the room’s entrance. He spoke with great disdain, focusing his words toward the absent minded Wei Wuxian,”I came to make sure you did nothing to disrupt my brother’s wedding tomorrow, and it seems my intuition led me here just in time…”

“Your intuition brought you here just in time to start the game. Come, sit! You too, Bro Lan,”Wei Ying insisted, patting the empty floor beside him.

Neither Lan Wangji nor Jin Zixuan moved toward the empty space, instead glancing toward each other as to see who would make the first move. Though Wei Wuxian was rather persistent, picking up the opened jar of Emperor’s Smile and rocking it gently in his hand. The alcohol swished from side to side, almost spilling out the open top yet yielding at the curved rim and showering back down for the next violent swish. With a devilish grin, Wei Wuxian explained,”The amount you drink is determined completely by you. Whether it’s one cup, five, or none at all!”

“As long as you have nothing to hide,”Jiang Cheng added, continuing to clean his blade. The sword had been clean for some time now, but it had become a sort of relaxing habit for him.

Across the room, Wei Ying pouted at his brother’s persistence. This drinking game would soon turn into a party of two, as Nie Huaisang was always looking for an excuse to drink. With his quick wit, Wei Wuxian directed the room’s negativity back at his relentless brother,”If you keep making this game seem like a shanghai, all of us will be forced to believe _you_ have something to hide.”

“I do not.”

“Then, join us.”

Wei Ying was crafty, no one in the room could deny that fact. With his hand forced, Jiang Cheng sheathed his blade with an annoyed huff. Setting the dirty cloth on the empty space beside him, the young man stood and slowly made his way across the small quarters to sit beside the trickster. Upon sitting, Wei Wuxian cheered,”Now, it’s three to two. Majority wins!”

Jin Zixuan and Lan Wangji again shared a quick glance at each other, yet both stood firm. Their stalemate would have lasted hours if Wei Ying had not begun to explain the drinking game,”The game is simple. We take turns asking any other player a question. If you are asked a question, you have two choices: answer or drink. After that, it’s your turn to ask. Simple!”

While the pair remained silent, Nie Huaisang took one cup of freshly poured Emperor’s Smile. He kept an eye on Wei Wuxian as he quickly drank its contents, setting the cup back in place before tapping his friend’s arm. Innocently, Nie said,”You missed a cup, Bro Wei.”

Looking over in shock, Wei Ying surveyed the cups. He remembered filling five and even counting the cups to assure there was one for everyone. As Wei Wuxian poured more alcohol into the fifth cup, he peered up at Nie Huaisang who instantly dodged direct eye contact. Wei Ying smirked with a quick shake of his head,”The point of the game is to _avoid_ drinking.”

Wei Wuxian chuckled as Nie Huaisang opened his custom made fan, hiding half of his face behind the decorative paper. Though his attention suddenly drifted toward Jin Zixuan and Lan Wangji who suddenly sat down, finishing the circle of cultivators. Wei Ying promptly slide a cup in front of each man, sporting a devilish grin as he asked,”Who would like to go first?”

“You,”Lan Zhan said before allowing anyone else to speak up. Seeing as Wei Wuxian was so eager to play this game, he likely had a reason behind it.

Of course, Lan Wangji was very insightful. There was certainly an inquiry he wished to see through, but it was far too soon to bring up a question of that magnitude. So, Wei Ying would have to be patient. As for now, the young host traced his finger between the four men amongst him, bouncing from person to person before stopping on Jin Zixuan,”Bro Jin, is it true you once stole makeup from your mother and ran through the halls with it on?”

Zixuan lowered his gaze to the cup closest to him with a sigh. This question was too simple to waste a shot on, even though he was fairly tolerant to alcohol. The pious man glanced back at Wei Ying with a sigh,”I was a toddler.”

“Yes, and surely a pretty one,” Wuxian jested with a slap on his knee as he continued,”Your turn!”

The small tale raised a smirk from Jiang Cheng and a small smile hidden behind Nie Huaisang‘s fan, yet both had heard the rumor years prior. Moving on, Jin Zixuan stared deeply at Wei Ying, calculating his question carefully. Though in truth, he could not think of a single damning question for the tricky host. So, turning his gaze to the coming heir of Yunmeng, he set his sights on a more important matter,”Jiang Cheng...Does your sister like hair pins?”

Furrowing his brows, Jiang Cheng glared at the man of Lanling with confusion riddling his stern face and remained silent. While he knew the answer to that question, it was one he preferred not to answer, especially to the likes of who asked it. To give credit to Jin Zixuan, his attitude had all but quenched in the past year toward Jiang Cheng’s sister, but the sudden kindness did not make up for his past actions.

Still, Zixuan had come to welcome this arranged marriage. He even felt relieved and joyful about it. Of course, Jin felt clarification would get the four sets of beating eyes off of him,”It’s just...I saw your sister take interest in them once, but she never bought one. I wondered if she would wear one if it were gifted to her.”

“Yes,”Jiang Cheng barked, nearly cutting the groom to be off. He wasted no time in changing the subject entirely. Something had been bothering him, and this was a prime time to spring the question. Diverting his gaze at Nie Huaisang, Cheng inquired,”Why were you wandering around the halls late last night?”

“M-me? Well, I-I um…”Nie Huaisang began but hastily reached for the cup of Emperor's Smile as a few droplets spewed out. He drank the contents, leaning his head back to ensure every last drop left the cup, and slammed the cup back to its original spot. Nie glanced at everyone in the room with revealing eyes, his brows quivering from the attention. Quickly addressing the matter, Huaisang stumbled over words,”It’s not what you think! It’s just...embarrassing…”

Without wasting time, Wei Wuxian filled the empty cup and said,”Well, this game is turning out far better than expected!”

“Then, I have a question for you!” Nie Huaisang yelled combatively. He nervously fanned himself, concocting a sudden question in his head to get back at his cheerful friend,”How many women have you taken to bed?”

“Aha ha, none,”Wei Ying answered truthfully. He had no reason to hide the fact, even if it came as a surprise to everyone in the room except for Jiang Cheng. While he never outright admitted to any sort of act, Ying often spoke as _if_ he had knowledge of the sort. Of course, Wei Wuxian wasted no time in turning the tables,”Okay, Lan Wangji is the only one who hasn’t been asked. Let’s see...Oh! Have you ever broken a rule on...”

“No,”Lan Zhan interrupted with his response.

Folding his arms, Jiang Cheng huffed,”That was a wasted opportunity.”

Turning toward his brother, Wei Wuxian made a _bleh_ sound as he stuck out his tongue. In response, Jiang Cheng slapped his arm. Wei Ying hollered and sat back, holding the spot of impact carefully. Waiting for the brothers to work out their matter, Lan Wangji watched his questioner intently as he asked,”Swain?”

“Ah, me again?” Wei Ying rebuttled with an exasperated exhale. This game was turning out to be more of a personal attack than a joyful way to pass the time. Still, Wei Wuxian had to be careful with how to answer this subtle question. Scratching his head, Wei Ying continued,”Well, I do not have a lover, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Jin Zixuan caught onto the calculated wording and quickly questioned the host of this game,”So, is there someone you are interested in?”

“It’s not your turn to ask!” Wei Wuxian hollered back. This _definitely_ was not going as planned. It would have been easier to keep his composure if certain bodies were not currently in the room. In an attempt to change the subject, Wei Ying had to calculate a question that would change their subject range, yet he also had to keep the questions away from Jin Zixuan. Quickly turning to Nie Huaisang, Ying asked,”Bro Nie, if you were forced to either walk around naked or have your thoughts float above your head for the rest of your life, which would you choose?”

Silencing the room once again, Wei Wuxian at least drew attention off himself for a short while. Unfortunately for Nie Huaisang, he hid his bright red cheeks from the rest of the group by cowering behind his fan. His cunning eyes darted from member to member as each one of them had his full attention. Bro Nie looked down and fumbled over words as he answered,”I-I think...I think I would rather...walk around naked?”

“Bro Nie, do you have damning thoughts?” Wei Wuxian teased, keeping the focus on his cowardice friend. He snuck a hefty sip of Emperor’s Smile from the jar beside him. Though Wei Ying seemed to be celebrating too early as his devilish smile dissipated as Nie Huaisang took his turn.

Huaisang folded his fan and pointed it at Wei Wuxian as he asked,”Let’s see how you like hard questions, Bro Wei! Who is your _secret lover_?”

In the many times Wei Wuxian had played this game, he never once opted out of a question, yet today, he reached for the small cup and took his shot without a second thought. Refilling the cup, Wei Ying sighed,”Go ahead and ask someone else a question, Bro Nie.”

It was rare for anyone to witness Wei Wuxian unnerved. Nie Huaisang knew he was onto something now, so he took a chance and redirected the question to the only other person in the room who may still be able to answer it,”Alright...Bro Jiang, who is Bro Wei’s secret lover?”

Glancing over at Wei Ying, Jiang Cheng considered his options. Wei Wuxian looked up at his brother with pleading eyes, ones Jiang Cheng had never seen before. It felt nice to finally have a sense of power over his charming brother who always got his way. Of course, what he chose to say had nothing to do with one upping his childish brother; instead, he sought to clear up what Wei Ying was too afraid to admit. Still, he could not let Wei Wuxian see it that way, so Jiang Cheng smirked as he began to speak,”La-”

Though, Wei Wuxian was quick to react. The second Jiang Cheng’s lip curled up, Wei Ying sprang at his brother and covered his mouth. Wei Wuxian’s swift hand followed every movement Jiang Cheng made in an attempt to pull away, resulting in the pair falling into the wall behind them. Though their squabbling quickly came to an end upon hearing a squeal erupt from beyond their room.

Reacting immediately, Lan Zhan and Jin Zixuan stood, both men heading for the only exit. The Pride brothers of Yunmeng quickly followed in their footsteps without another word being spoken, yet Nie Huaisang remained still and silent, watching the four disappear through the single doorway. He swiftly picked up the jar of Emperor’s Smile left behind as he beamed like a Cheshire cat.

The four cultivators made their way down the hallway to an open courtyard. They became witness to a woman standing over a corpse. The woman stood frail, as white as a ghost with her hands covering her mouth. Wei Wuxian heads the group and runs up to the woman, grasping her shoulders as he convinces her to step away,”Ma’am, are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine. I don’t know what happened. I was on my way to my room, a-and…” The young woman from Jin stepped back and buried her face in Wei Ying’s shoulder. She shook uncontrollably as Wei Wuxian wrapped his arms protectively around her.

Kneeling beside the idle body, Jiang Cheng checked for a pulse. The corpse was still a bit warm, meaning his death was still fresh. Turning to the group, he slightly shakes his head. Speaking up to Jin Zixuan, Jiang Cheng implores,”Do you recognize him?”

The pious young man shakes his head in response with a sigh,”His colors are neutral.

With my brother’s lengthy guest list, he could be from any sect.”

Taking a step toward the corpse, Lan Zhan says,”Neck.”

Jin Zixuan and Jiang Cheng draw their focus back to the corpse, focusing on its neck as Lan Wangji instructed. In a few seconds, Jiang Cheng spots the discoloration creeping from amongst the man’s robes. Peeling back the fabric revealed skin turned a deep purple shade, much like a bruise, yet it was visibly not bruised skin. It seemed more like an uncontrolled rash that had overtaken the corpse’s shoulder. Wei Ying peered over the crying girls shoulder, balancing on his toes to see over his brother. The mark was like nothing any of the men had ever seen. With no witnesses and a series of unanswered questions, their night had just gotten much more complex.


	2. As Quiet As the Night Seems

“There should have been guards on watch,”Jin Zixuan stated with disappointment trailing in his stern voice. The scene was bizarre and grew stranger by the minute. Guards were scheduled to patrol the grounds at night, and one of the units should have heard the same scream they did. Though, none had shown, even now.

Jiang Cheng rose from his kneeled position with a soft exhale, glancing around their surroundings for anything out of place. Unfortunately, the area seemed normal, spotless even, but judging from the strange rash on the corpses body, he likely died from some sort of poison or disease. It was hard for him to say for certain as he had little to no knowledge of the medical field. In fact, none of them had seen anything of the sort.

Even Lan Zhan was perplexed with this outcome. While this incident may have been a mere coincidence of location and timing, the likelihood would differ otherwise. The youngest Twin Jade of Lan was highly sceptical of this mystery man’s death. As he glanced toward the young girl who seemed to be the closest thing to a lead they had, his eyes widened upon the sight of her. He slightly raised his voice as he called to his companion,”Wei Ying!”

The sudden holler drew both Jin Zixuan and Jiang Cheng to gaze upon the scene unfolding. Wei Wuxian, oblivious to the oddity himself, stared blankly at the cast of eyes upon him. Though it was obvious that he was not the focus of their attention but rather the woman in his arms was, the woman _disappearing_ in his arms. As Wei Ying shifted his gaze downward, he let out a shriek and released his loose hold around the gal. The four watched in pure awe as the woman slowly faded away, becoming as white as a ghost before disintegrating like a dampened paper until the absence of her filled the eerie air. None of the men moved; they did not flinch or breath for several seconds, simply gazing where the woman once stood.

Suddenly breaking the silence, Jiang Cheng yelled at his brother,”What did you do?”

“It wasn’t me!” Wei Wuxian hollered back, offly offended at the allocation. While he was all too familiar with being at the end of the fox’s tail, _this_ time he had absolutely no part of the apparition’s mischief.

Even so, Jiang Cheng did not let up. As of late, Wei Ying had a devious mind of his own, one that many locals and those abroad had begun to question. If anything, this sort of conundrum was right up his brother’s alley. The strong headed man persisted,“You were the last to touch her!”

“How could I have done that?!”

“Wei Wuxian, you-“

“Enough!” Lan Wangji suddenly interrupted. The young scholar glared harshly at Jiang Cheng who mirrored the audacious glimmer. Bickering over the matter would do nothing to help solve this series of bizarre mysteries.

Jin Zixuan shifted the conversation entirely to direct the group back to their main objective,”I know who would have access to the list of guests attending my brother’s wedding.”

Lan Zhan gave a nod and awaited further movement before proceeding. Once Jin Zixuan began toward the hallway opposite where they came, Jiang Cheng followed suit. Wei Ying waited a bit before rushing to catch up with Lan Wangji and remained at his side behind the other two men.

Once the group was fully in motion, and the length between Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng was sufficient, Wei Wuxian directed a gentle glance toward Lan Wangji. The simple minded Lan waited for some time, assuming his partner would drift the awkward gaze away. When Wei Ying did not, he shifted his golden pupils toward the relentless adult who shot back with a genuine smile. With how long the two had known each other, this was a clear _thank you_, in which Lan Zhan responded with a small nod.

*****************************************************

Knocking on the solid wooden door, Jin Zixuan waited for a response. He was readily prepared to knock again, yet the man on the opposing side of the door responded almost immediately. Opening the door, the lively elder gentleman pushed his glasses back with a gasp. To be presented with the royal’s presence at such an hour was a shocking surprise. He quickly straightened his posture as best he could and addressed him,”How may I be of service, my childe?”

“I need to look at the guest list for my brother’s reception, if you still have it,”Jin Zixuan hurriedly responded.

“Of course! One second, if you may,”the elder man said as he wandered off and out of sight. The men outside of the room heard a series of rustling sounds before the man presented himself before the door with a scroll, holding it before him with a bow as he continued,”I happen to possess a copy! Please take it.”

“Thank you,”Jin Zixuan said as he took the scroll into his hand and turned away from the man. The sound of a door shutting behind him echoed in the small hallway. Unfolding the fresh scroll, the royal from Jin allowed it to fall as far as it would reach; the eggshell shaded paper stopped at his feet. He let out a sigh of frustration at the sight of the small print. There seemed to be hundreds on this list just at first glance.

“I believe we should divide into two teams. One pair can go through the guest list while the other watches for any suspicious activity on the premises,”Jiang Cheng suggested upon seeing the lengthy scroll. Splitting up would save time and give them an advantage to uncovering something important. At this point, the team was grasping for any sort of hints to run with.

Wei Ying quickly jumped on the offer,“Dibs on the side that doesn’t have to go through names!”

Jin Zixuan was the next to stake his claim on the more active team,”I know this area better than anyone. I will accompany Wei Wuxian.”

“Alright, than Lan Wangji and I will go through the names,”Jiang Cheng responded and glanced at Lan Zhan who offered a nod as his response. He took the scroll offered by Jin Zixuan and rolled it back up for carrying convenience. Without another word, the mild tempered member of Jiang clan took his leave; Lan Zhan left as well, merely a few feet behind.

The duo remaining realized only _after_ they spoke how their choices had resulted. Neither man wore a look of pleasure on their face, but there was no reversing the decision now. With a disheartened sigh, Wei Ying spoke up,”Lead the way, _lord of the all knowing_.”

“Must you be so dramatic at a time like this,”Jin Zixuan uttered in a barely audible voice to counteract his companion’s uncontrollable volume. He wasted no time setting off in the opposing direction the other pair had gone, heading instead toward the courtyard they had previously left. The likelihood of someone happening onto the scene was high, yet this conundrum would be easier solved among a few minds instead of several outsiders.

“I’m just keeping the situation _light_. You should try it sometime,”Wei Wuxian defended himself as he followed the stuck up heir. He watched the hallway change from walled to not as they neared the open areas of the Jin Sect Residence. In some ways, this set up reminded Wei Ying of home even if he would never dare to complement anything from Jin Sect as such.

Choosing to ignore his companion outright, Jin Zixuan took the lead and walked four steps off the long walkway into the courtyard, but to his surprise, not a person was in sight, not even the corpse from before. The courtyard was as clean as an outdoor setting could be. As Wei Wuxian took his last step to be at Jin Zixuan’s side, his mouth unlatched an inch. His eyes darted from fixture to fixture, scanning the ground intently for any trace of their patchy fellow, yet not even one hair was left to trace the corpses whereabouts.


	3. Hour One

Reading over the lengthy list of names, Lan Wangji could not determine a suspect or victim. The mass quantity of names was simply too hard to draw any quick conclusion. While Lan Wangji knew everyone’s name and stature, that seemed to be the extent of his knowledge in the matter. Though thankfully for both of them, Jiang Cheng was fairly fluent in problem solving.

“We should begin by sorting the members by Sect, and furthermore by family name,”Jiang Cheng suggested as he paced the room. It was a small bedroom but merely so from the fact that it held two occupants, both men from Jiang who attended on their families behalf. He paced along the decorative wall opposing the door’s entrance and walked just past Lan Wangji who occupied the floor, as it was the only place where the scroll could be fully laid out.

With a nod, Lan Wangji began to rewrite the list of names by sect on a separate scroll the pair had found stowed away on a shelf. Normally, he would take his time while writing, yet in his haste, he short handed names where he could. Even so, this rushed free writing was still written miles better than many who knew how to write. The poious young master did have a reputation to uphold. Even more, Jiang Cheng was amazed at the speed his comrade had begun to copy the names down. In one full pace of Jiang Cheng’s slow walk, Lan Zhan had covered a third of the names. Now the question was, how would they eliminate names off of that list? What stipulation would be enough to remove someone as a suspect with so little to go on?

“Done,”Lan Zhan stated, setting his brush down as he stretched his hand. He had already crossed off a few names, those who he knew had nothing to do with the event, the four men who were playing the drinking game when the death occurred excluding Jin Zixuan who was not on the guest list and his brother. The thought of adding names to this list had crossed his mind as no one in the Jin Sect was written. It was simply an expectation for them to show, but it was far less likely someone would dare to act against such a populus Sect leader. As for writing down Jin Guangyao himself, Lan Zhan was more skeptical, yet he knew very well that Jin Guangyao was far more clever than to allow witnesses to someone he wanted dead. Unfortunately, that meant the mass amount of names had only been reduced by a little over a handful.

Jiang Cheng stopped pacing for a second to look over the copied list,“Well done. We can cross off the few from Wen Clan who are attending. If they had committed the crime, we would know...and all of Jin Guangyao’s devoted followers are innocent of this crime as well.”

With a small nod, Lan Wangji did as his comrade commanded, knowing full well that Jiang Cheng spoke the truth. The Wen Clan had always been a roughty Sect and took pride in owning up to their rebellious antics. As for the _groom-to-be’s_ disciples, they were far too devoted to Jin Guangyao to be part of a stunt like this, seeing as they treated him as their true ruler even though they were heads of their own smaller Sects. As Lan Zhan passed through the many names he began to cross off, he paused when reading over one name in particular. Su She was a man he knew all too well. It was hard for him to simply pass over the name without thinking twice, but evidently, his partner was right. The man would never go against his new found master. Begrudgingly, the pious disciple from Lan set aside his bias and crossed the man off his list.

Glancing over the list, Jiang Cheng sighed. The list was still massive, yet they had put a dent in it. With nearly twenty names off the list, it was surely a start. Jiang Cheng continued,”We should try to deduce who our victim is next.”

“He wore neutral colors except for a jade pendant with white tassels,”Lan Wangji recalled from memory.

Though, Jiang Cheng was quick to jump on his companion’s analysis,”A disciple of Qinghe?”

Nodding in response, Lan Zhan glanced down at the members of their sect who attended. It seemed only three people from that sect decided to show: Nie Huaisang, Nie Lim Bo, and Nie Song Ju. Beside the two unfamiliar names, Lan Wangji wrote a thick line to symbolize their guess on the victim.

“Nie Huaisang could provide us with more information. I’ll see if I can find where he ran off to,”Jiang Cheng said before exiting the room. Another nod was his only reply as Lan Zhan began to examine the list of names more intently. If Qinghe Nie Sect was truly the focus, it was likely the remaining two members attending were at risk, yet even now, Lan Wangji contemplated the murder’s intent with little success toward a new lead. The attack, from their standpoint, seemed quite random but surely calculated. In his hopes, Nie Huaisang was still sitting idle in the room they left him, drinking the night away.

Once outside, with the door safely shut, the young man from Yunmeng glanced to either end of the hallway to make sure no one else was present. Lifting his hand to his face, he examined a purple rash that had begun from the outer rim of his palm. The rash traveled halfway across his palm and began to overtake the lower region of his thumb. Lowering his hand, Jiang Cheng let out a helpless exhale. _This_ could derail their entire theory, but seeking Nie Huaisang would likely lead to some sort of helpful venture. Even so, that interrogation would have to be put on hold for a time; Jiang Cheng needed to uncover this contagion before it took more lives. Thankfully, there was a name on that list of someone who would help him now, likely the only person he could trust now and someone who may know more about this mysterious plague.

*****************************************************

“Didn’t we leave someone here?” Wei Wuxian questioned rhetorically. The answer was obvious, yet saying these words felt necessary. Corpses generally did not just get up and walk away, unless they had become _more_ than deceased. In any case, this certainly did little to help their current standing. At least one thing was for sure in all of this, the act was not done unintentionally.

“We have to find him,”Jin Zixuan said before dashing across the courtyard. _If_ his suspicions were right, and a corpse had come back to life, then its master had some sort of goal to achieve. Though, his sprint was suddenly halted when Wei Wuxian grabbed ahold of his arm, nearly jolting him back in the process. Turning to the fast fellow, Jin Zixuan expressed his disdain,”Let go! I have to inform the guards to-“

“You’ll be playing right into his trap! Why would the corpse be left here and suddenly disappear unless that’s what his master ordered,”Wei Ying explained in a slightly softer voice. It was better to keep the list of people _in the know_ as short knit as possible.

As much as he hated it, Jin Zixuan had no other choice than to listen to the soft spoken fool. Every move they made had to be calculated. He forcefully pulled his arm away from Wei Ying as he glanced down at the ground where the corpse had once laid. Keeping his voice lowered, Jin Zixuan said,”If this is the work of someone controlling corpses, they likely have more than just one.” Wei Ying nodded as he placed a curved finger to his chin, glancing around the courtyard for a shred of evidence as to where the body went. He began to walk toward one edge of the yard as he thought out loud,”If I were a corpse, where would I hide?”

With a sigh, Jin Zixuan followed his unwanted partner. Their pace was slow as to visually take on their surroundings, yet it did absolutely nothing to help their investigation. As they stepped toward the northern edge of the courtyard, where an open doorway lead to another courtyard, a rustling sound came from behind them. The sound was quick and fairly silent, yet in the midst of night, it rang louder than a woman’s shriek. The duo turned in haste to catch a glimpse of what they almost left behind but were met with more of the same, _nothing_.

“It was likely a babax,” Jin Zixuan explained as there was nothing in sight to suggest otherwise. He more than anyone wanted to see _something_ emerge from the shadowy depths of this courtyard, but there was no point in letting the imagination run wild.

Yet Wei Ying was far more skeptical as he ventured toward the sound. It could only have originated from a row of bushes four feet or so away from the pair, and if the sound carried to them, it was larger than a mere bird. Wei Wuxian cautiously neared the bush. When nothing jumped out at him, Wei Ying grew closer, close enough to touch the bushes leaves and even see on the other side of the collective foliage. To his disappointment, nothing was waiting on the other side.

Though, the pair was not alone. In fact, the man who once stood behind the bushes had found shelter just beside the bush where a wall stood tall. The young lad with long black hair stood silent and held his breath as to not be caught. If his sister found out he had ventured on his own at night _and_ ran into witnesses, he would regret the morning to come.

“I guess no one’s here,”Wei Ying said as he backed away from the bush, but he did not fully leave the area. He sensed the presence of another. If they were lucky, this hidden figure could be their big break. He glanced back toward Jin Zixuan and raised a finger just before his lips. He took a few more steps back as he bluffed,”It must have just been a babax. Too bad I didn’t have time to catch it. It would have made a great stew for sure!”

The gesture was visually received. Upon Wei Ying’s careless laughter, Jin Zixuan silently moved to meet his comrade at the open doorway. Wei Ying made his footsteps heavy as he walked but slowly silenced them, eventually standing in place as he stomped on the ground. After several steps in place, he stopped and waited for the mystery figure to show itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little forewarning, even though I am sure those of you reading this have already realized, I am NOT following the canon timeline of the novel, manga, anime, or drama. That being said, I'm not throwing it out completely, just tweaking it to make this story work better. ALSO, thanks to all of you who have taken an interest in this tale! <3


	4. Next to Nothing

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to spy on you two!” The skittish boy squealed as he threw his hands defensively before him. Though the face was all too familiar to Wei Ying, causing the young man to smile widely at his frightened friend. 

“Wen Ning! I didn’t know you were invited!” Wei Wuxian hollered all of a sudden as he ran over to his friend. This was certainly a welcomed reunion, in the midst of their untimely situation. This gave Wei Ying a sudden boost of confidence.

Though Wen Ning had not realized the man’s identity at first, he was very relieved now. If the sheltered boy had waited a few more minutes, he would have gotten away without seeing the man he idolized far more than he should. His face brightened as he rejoiced,”It’s been too long, Bro Wei!”

Aside from the _happy couple_, Jin Zixuan was anything but enthusiastic with the reunion. It was a mere distraction from a much more urgent disaster that was readily brewing. The young man cleared his throat to gather their attention before interrupting,”I hate to disturb you two, but we have other matters to attend to.”

“Right! Bro Wen, have you seen anything suspicious lately?” Wei Ying immediately sprung the question. Though, it was readily obvious that Wen Ning _had_ seen something out of the ordinary, and coming from himself, that was quite a surprise. Wei Ying’s head cocked slightly as he watched his friend’s face contort before him.

“I-I’m not sure what I saw exactly,”Wen Ning began. The ghost faced man lowered his weary gaze toward the ground as he tried to explain what he had seen moments ago,”There was someone on the ground in the courtyard...I was going to see if they were alright, but then, something else showed up…”

“What showed up?” Wei Wuxian persisted out of honest curiosity. This could very well be the break they were so desperately in need of.

Though, Wen Ning was hesitant to say the words as if saying them would summon the beings before them. Of course, he knew that was not the case, but it was still hard to believe what he had seen with his own eyes. Raising his weary gaze to stare at Wei Ying, Wen Ning softly said,”The Heibai Wuchang…”

At first, neither Jin Zixuan nor Wei Wuxian responded. The Heibai Wuchang, or more commonly referred to as the _Black Guard_ and the _White Guard_, were reapers of the underworld. Though believed fictitious beings of lore as no living soul had ever cast their eyes upon them, many used the beings to build upon faith of the afterlife. Even so, it was not a topic anyone took lightly as they were generally the judge and executioner, in the sense of a soul’s final judgement. While Wei Wuxian was open to such claims, and had blind faith in his friend’s words, Jin Zixuan was much more apprehensive,”There are people dying, and you stand before us spouting lies?”

“Wen Ning does not lie,”Wei Ying spoke up and shot a dreadful glare at his stuck up partner. Sure, the claim was outlandish and even unbelievable, but if Wen Ning said he saw them, who’s to say he had not? Wei Wuxian knew Wen Ning at heart, and he would not stand idle when a friend’s true character was questioned.

“You’re supporting a man who claims to have seen _reapers_. Reapers only deceased can see,” Jin Zixuan spoke with intensity. He would not back down. To simply believe such an outrageous claim was absolutely ridiculous, even for the likes of Wei Wuxian.

“Let’s just say he has a sixth sense for these sort of things,”Wei Ying hinted at a deeper meaning but stuck with the basics to avoid an even lengthier explanation. They simply did not have time to waste. Wei Ying drew his focus back on his friend and asked another question,”If the reapers took his soul, what happened to his body?”

“It vanished,”Wen Ning monitonly said. That was the simple truth.

Having enough of this tale, Jin Zixuan huffed,“Bodies do not just _vanish_.”

This time, Wei Ying completely ignored his unimaginative companion and asked further,”Did you see anything else? Did they say anything?”

Shaking his head, Jin Zixuan turned away from the conversation entirely. Once guides to the afterlife, now body snatchers with voices. It was more than surreal for the rich young childe. However, his head did snap back with Wen Ning’s response.

“They said the soul had already been collected, and something about a mark being passed on,” Wen Ning continued. He slightly rocked in place and let out a small puff of air. Wen Ning was not used to this much attention; being in the spotlight was taxing for the young lad.

In hopes of learning more to simply play with the theory, Jin Zixuan explained the logical flaws,”If this is all true, you mean to say someone is collecting souls from the dead _before_ The Heibai Wuchang get to them? Lore says they visit dying souls, but your story places them first coming to the victim after they are deceased.”

“Unless the souls are taken while the host is still alive...before even The Heibai Wuchang would show to reap them,”Wei Wuxian pointed out. It would also explain the vanishing corpses, as lore foretold that a body missing its soul would be cast away like dust against the wind. While both men were relieved to finally uncover a bit of the truth, it also meant an even larger mess was beginning to unfold before them.

Though, there was one part of this event that had been bugging Wen Ning since he witnessed the surreal scene. He carefully gripped his upper arm and carressed his thumb over the soft cloth. With a sigh, he spoke up,”If the mark was passed on, someone else is next.”

“How would a mark of that nature be passed on?” Jin Zixuan inquired to the group. Unfortunately, the possibilities were endless, and none of them had any experience in this situation.

While the group remained silent in a trance, Wei Wuxian racked his brain with enough possibilities to fill a small shelf with scrolls stacked high. Anything from a vengeful spirit condemning those who robbed them, marking its victims as it discovered them, to a simple contagion being passed on by a common bug were all possibilities, yet the second his mind locked onto one thought in particular, his eyes widened to the size of freshly plucked berries. Likewise, Jin Zixuan had let his mind wonder on the possibilities until he reached the same conclusion. The mark was transferred through direct contact.

The pair locked eyes in a sudden connection of disbelief. Though for the outsider looking in, Wen Ning simply diverted his eyes between the two in complete confusion. However, an explanation would have to wait. Wasting not a second longer, Wei Wuxian sprinted across the courtyard with Jin Zixuan close behind. Wen Ning followed as well, even though he was rather lost in this tangled web of mysteries. It would have been wise to have asked where the other half of their group was planning on going to read through the lengthy list of names, but alas, that thought came far too late. Their priority was to find Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng before it was too late...

*************************************************************

Shortness of breath seemed to be the next symptom for Jiang Cheng as he carried himself down the drawn out hallway. The walls had begun to warp as if the hallway itself was endless, regardless of how many times he rubbed his drawn eyes awake. The amount of symptoms that had presented themselves all at once was overwhelming. Thankfully, Jiang Cheng was nearing the room of someone he felt he could trust with his life. Though at this hour, there was no telling if that somebody would even be awake. As Jiang Cheng stood before the door, he took a deep breath to calm his mind and think clearly enough to keep a conversation without _seeming_ ill. Unfortunately, this only left him with an even more nauseating feeling than before.

Though, the disease stricken man did not have to knock. Instead, the eldest Jade of Lan opened the door upon feeling a presence outside his chambers. It was odd for most to be up at such an hour, yet it was always what plagued Lan Xichen’s long journeys. What few knew about the pious man was that his light sleeping habits were always worse when abroad. Even so, his visitor came as quite a surprise, and a worrisome one at that. Jiang Cheng carried himself as if nothing was astray, standing tall with the pride of the Yunmeng clan on his back, but his eyes revealed the truth. Lan Xichen wasted no time in greetings as he voiced his concern,”Jiang Cheng, please come in.”

With a nod, the heir of Yunmeng stepped through the doorway with a heavy sigh. Movement seemed labored when halted and asked to start up again like a worn out machine in need of a tune up. Even his joints were beginning to stiffen. Jiang Cheng vaulted for a second step when he heard the door shut behind him. The younger man began to speak but was cut short,”I’m sorry for bothering you at this late of-“

“There is no need for an apology. Please, sit,” Lan Xichen insisted, grasping the true sense of the situation only after catching a glimpse of his companion’s daunting state. It was not until Jiang Cheng passed by a candle that Lan Xichen saw just how pale he was. His complexion was as dull as the scattered paper on top of Xichen’s bed, which the older man swiftly picked up and set aside for his friend. With little choice in the matter, Jiang Cheng sat on the freshly set bed. It was much more of a fall than a graceful decline, but there was only so much he could hold in. Sitting was a much needed leisure at this point, as his body had begun to ache along with his fatigue. Though this sense of leisure was just as exhausting as when he was on the move. It seemed regardless of his actions, Jiang Cheng felt his health worsening by the second.

“What happened?” Lan Xichen asked as he kneeled in front of his ally. To get a better look at him, Lan Xichen lit the candle at his bedside to provide more light in the room. He then lifted a hand to place against Jiang Cheng’s forehead but was quickly denied as the younger man leaned away.

“You can’t touch me. It will spread,”Jiang Cheng explained as he pulled back his sleeve. The purple patch had quickly taken over half of his hand and began to taper past his wrist. The rash was not a solid purple but more discolored in blotches much like a bruise.

Regardless of this warning, Lan Xichen lightly gripped his friend’s shoulders and guided him to fully lie across the bed. Once his friend lay still, he brought a candle from the bedside table and shined it on Jiang Cheng’s plagued wrist. Alas, Lan Xichen was familiar with this disease, yet it came as quite a shock to see it in the flesh once again. He proceeded to place the back of his hand against Jiang Cheng’s forehead; it was unnervingly cool. Xichen placed the candle back onto the solid wooden table as he asked,”Where is Wei Wuxian?”

Speaking was not easy at this point, between the staggered breathing and nodding sensation to slip into a long slumber, yet Jiang Cheng was relentless. Cheng would now allow himself to rest just yet. He took a fatal breath in before speaking,”Don’t tell him. Is there any way to fix this?”

“Yes,”Lan Xichen stated. It was blatantly obvious by his plain face that the fix would not be easy. As much as the elder Lan wanted to be comforting, he knew Jiang Cheng far too well. The young boy would see right through his optimism.

As expected, the heir to Yunmeng read the room. Even in his illstrucken state, his intuition was as sharp as a finely sharpened blade. Instead of drawing out the inevitable, Jiang Cheng cut to the chase,”How long do I have?”

“It depends on the severity of the curse, but you will likely make it until dawn,”Lan Xichen duly explained. Unfortunately, he had seen this curse unfold firsthand once in the past when a nation neighboring his own asked for their help. It was a slow coming process to discover the cure, and at the cost of many civilians. However, he had caught onto this curse early on, and Lan Xichen would do anything to keep from losing another like this, especially that of a person so dear to him. Collecting the tossed about papers on his bedside table, the elder Lan brother began to create wards that he would soon begin to place around the room...

*************************************************************

After continuous trial and error, the trio of misfits finally discovered the location of the youngest Lan son. When Wei Ying swung open the solid door, he called out his brother’s name only to have more panic fill his heart. Lan Zhan stopped mid stroke, in the process of removing more people from their suspect list, and narrowed his eyes toward his loud companion. His friend’s face was more than telling, so Lan Wangji did not question the intrusion. He stood and brushed past Wei Ying, immediately escorting the group to where he believed Jiang Cheng was…

*************************************************************

With every ward hung to cover every wall of the room, and an extra on the sturdy door, Lan Xichen surveyed the room. These wards should be enough to hold off any malicious entity from entering, so he had to take this chance to leave his ill stricken companion for now. As Lan Xichen glanced at Jiang Cheng, he let out a slow exhale. It pained him to leave the man in his weakened state. With every burdened breath the man took, Lan Xichen felt it harder to exit, yet if he stayed, he would put everyone at risk of a worse outcome. Furthermore, he would never have the chance to find the entity causing this curse if he stayed.

As Lan Xichen turned to leave, he froze after placing only one step toward the exit. A sudden chill had swept the room in an instant. The pious man stood still as he stared at the ward centered on the doorway. It had begun to shake as if a soft breeze was nearby, but in this closed off room, there was no crack or crevice to leak swift strides of air…

*************************************************************

Trading off heavy breathes, the group was scrambling across the courtyard attempting to keep up with Wei Ying. This was the fastest he had ever recalled running in his life. It felt to him as though his feet had taken to the heightened rhythm of his heart beat, every beat leading to a hard step against the solid ground. Maybe it was the fear of the unknown or simply who was on the end of the unknown, but Wei Wuxian was determined to fix the situation regardless of the severity.

Trailing just behind him was Lan Zhan and Wen Ning, both of which were concerned for the situation at hand. The duo knew what the other did not, but neither had the time to trade their collective knowledge to fully grasp the situation at hand. As for Jin Zixuan, his only reason for sticking with the group was in hopes they could uncover more about the contagion before it became wide spread. Though as the group carried down the elongated hallway, they noticed a change in temperature. It was so sudden, even in the previously nip air. While this would not deter their destination, the group did slow to a halt once they laid eyes on a spirit before them. It was a woman draped in white clothes that were cut in odd places and flowed sparingly in the air as if a constant wind was helping them levitate. She wore long black hair that contrasted her vibrantly pale skin. The spirit cocked her head towards the group to reveal her face for a mere second before disappearing as if she were simply a mirage. Though, Wei Ying’s eyes widened the second she revealed her face. He knew her, or at least had seen her before. It was the girl from before. The crying girl they had run into when they discovered a corpse in the courtyard. Instinctively, Wei Wuxian ran to the door she had been seconds before.

“Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan raised his voice and followed after his reckless friend. Wen Ning and Jin Zixuan kept close behind.

When Wei Ying reached the door, he swung it open and immediately froze when witnessing a sword at his throat. With the relief of seeing a familiar face, Lan Xichen lowered his sword along with his body, visibly losing tension. The temperature had also returned to normal, so he knew it was not some trick. Stepping aside to allow entry, Lan Xichen apologized,”I am sorry. Please come in.”

Wei Ying would have spoken if words meant anything now, but there was no reason to ask if Lan Xichen had knowledge of his brother’s wearabouts. He was visibly in sight, laying dormant on the bed before him. Hurriedly stepping past the elder Lan, Wei Ying dropped onto his knees at the bedside and gripped his brother’s cool hand,”Jiang Cheng, please tell me you’re-“

“Damn it,”Jiang Cheng interrupted as he opened his tired eyes. This was the one situation he had tried to avoid. If an eternal rest was eminent, the arrogant man had hoped to pass _in silence_. That was impossible to do with his loud mouth of a brother around, yet even so, it was somewhat comforting to see his brother’s mug.

At this point, everyone else had collected outside of the room and closed the door to give the pair some privacy. Lan Xichen spoke up the second he ensured the door was closed tightly behind him,”We have no time to waste. I have warded this room from allowing the spirit to pass through, but Jiang Cheng will not survive the night. We have to discover who summoned the spirit before the curse may be lifted.”

“How is it spreading?” Jin Zixuan voiced his concern. That was the utmost importance to him. Insuring the curse would not carry on would make it easier to control. Lan Xichen quickly explained,”The curse marks a victim after the summoned spirit consumes the soul of its host. Once the soul is gone and given to its master, the spirit tricks someone into obtaining the mark.”

At that moment, Jin Zixuan glanced at Lan Zhan who shared the eye contact. Pieces of their scattered puzzle were finally beginning to fit into place. As for now, they would have to finish connecting the dots once they discovered who was collecting souls. Lan Zhan spoke up to offer clarity,”We discovered the first victim was from the Qinghe Nie Sect. Jiang Cheng was off to question Nie Huaisang.”

“You two talk to him. Wen Ning, come with me. I need to see if anyone else is missing,”Jin Zixuan orchestrated the group and went on his way. He would not wait for decisions to be made any longer. Obediently, Wen Ning followed Jin Zixuan simply because he did not want to cause any trouble, even though he was much more comfortable at Wei Ying’s side. As for the Two Jades of Lan, they also took off in the opposing direction. The sooner they found Nie Huaisang, the sooner they would hopefully find answers.

On the other side of the door, Wei Wuxian temporarily forgot that a spirit was reaping souls. He was only focused on his dying brother who was being rather stubborn at the moment. Against Wei Ying’s efforts to keep the man in a lying position, Jiang Cheng refused to show weakness as he sat up in an attempt to convince Wei Ying he was better off than he seemed. Of course, Jiang Cheng’s antics were in vein as Wei Wuxian already began to prepare for the worst.

“I’m sorry I made Uncle give all of your dogs away when we were little,”Wei Ying began to apologize, continuing even after Jiang Cheng wore a perplexed mask,”I’m also sorry for showing off in front of that girl you liked when we were in class...Oh, and-“

“Stop! Save it for when I’m dead,”Jiang Cheng spat in annoyance. He had no plans of dying today even if the odds seemed grim. If The Heibai Wuchang showed up to guide him to the afterlife, he would shake his head and turn them away. Stubbornness had aided him this far in life; Jiang Cheng planned to keep using it to his advantage until he was ready to pass on.

Wei Wuxian huffed and folded his arms,”At least you’re still as _pleasant_ as ever…”

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. His brother was persistent, he always had been. Unfortunately, the toll of his decision to sit up had finally taken effect as a sudden nausea befell him, yet this was not the typical sense of the feeling. It was more direct, as if the nausea had elevated and isolated itself in his head. Shutting his eyes was instinct, but it only made the feeling set in harder. Jiang Cheng slightly slid forward in hopes to alleviate his nausea, yet nothing seemed to prevent his dizziness from growing in intensity. He gripped the bed sheets tightly to prevent from falling off the bed itself.

“Jiang Cheng, what’s wrong?” Wei Ying asked but instantly knew the answer. A sudden chill caused his entire body to shiver violently. Wei Wuxian darted his gaze from one end of the room to the next until he had ensured nothing else was present. The young man stood and stared at the ward placed securely on the room’s wooden door.

Though, the ward was not as secure as it seemed. The small rectangular page was barely holding on. It tried with all its might to stay plastered to the door, but the ward was not strong enough to hold up against the borrowed might of a greater power. As the small paper fell lifeless, the wooden door ever so slowly began to open...


	5. Fight, Flight, or Befriend the Ghoul?

Rounding a corner, the Twin Jades of Lan walked down the desolate hallway in long strides. The pair had remained quiet on their journey until now. It was Lan Xichen who broke the unpleasant silence with a question,”How did your drinking game go?”

With no response, Lan Zhan glanced at his brother for a moment. That was the only bad thing about having Lan Xichen as your brother; there was absolutely _nothing_ you could keep from him. Sometimes, Lan Zhan felt as though he was being tailed by a mindful sparrow from afar.

Nevertheless, Lan Xichen kept his brother’s best interests in mind. He had never once intended for the intrusion, yet it was quite odd to see his brother socializing, especially with a notably rowdy bunch. As such, Lan Xichen kept his inquiry short with a quick explanation,“I heard from Jin Guangyao that you accompanied his brother to Nie Huaisang’s room. I was merely curious. You seem to be quite fond of Wei Wuxian’s company.”

_Fond_ was a very strong word for Lan Wangji to tie with the thought of Wei Ying. It would still take the pious man some time to get used to an understanding of his relationship with that fool. For now, he was an annoying acquaintance and nothing more, yet this was quite a step up from his initial impression of Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji would not dodge all of his brother's words with silence, so he decided to interject before more nonsense spewed from his brother’s lips,”I did not drink.”

“I never said you did,”Lan Xichen responded with a smile that did not go unseen. Hidden deep in his heart was a proud sensation brewing; Lan Xichen was not sure he would see the day his lonesome brother found solace in someone, especially that of a vibrant and troublesome soul. Though, Lan Xichen found strings pulling at his own heart for another foreign beauty, yet those feelings he would never act upon for his brother’s sake. To follow his own want would likely cause trouble in his brother’s journey to find happiness, yet Lan Xichen valued Lan Wangji’s happiness over his own. In this fateful world, Lan Xichen would smile on and help his brother understand the confusing truths in life where he could.

“What?” Lan Wangji asked with concern in his voice. The expression his brother wore was not one he had ever seen before. While Lan Xichen’s face encompassed all the joy and compassion one could muster in a soft grin, there was a subtle hint of something else afoot. His dull eyes gave his true feelings away.

Dodging the question completely, Lan Xichen knocked on Nie Huaisang’s door,”We are here.”

The two waited in silence for some time, prompting a second knock and even a call of the guest’s name. Though there was no answer. Lan Xichen stepped away from the room with a sigh,”We will come back-“

His brother’s hasty action interrupted his words. There were lives on the line, so Lan Wangji wasted no time in _forcing_ the door open. Fortunately for them, the lock was weak. Evidently, Nie Huaisang was not present, so Lan Wangji stepped into the room without hesitation. Unfortunately, the room was spotless. Not a candle out of place nor cloth misplaced, as if a maid had just come in and cleaned the place to be spotless. It certainly was not left in a way that Nie Huaisang would it; the young man was notably believed to have a scattered mind.

Both brothers saw this, yet Lan Xichen was slightly taken aback by his brother’s approach. _Maybe I should keep him away from Wei Wuxian..._ Nevertheless, it was quickly evident that Nie Huaisang was no longer present which meant they had no reason to stay put. Lan Wangji had been there hours ago, so he knew the room had been swept clean. Lan Wangji turned to his brother to say,”We need to find the maid who cleaned this room.” With a nod, Lan Xichen spoke,“Agreed. We may head back to our room to wait for Jin Zixuan’s return.”

*****************************************************

_Should we run? Will it come through the door?_ These were among two of the series of questions jumbled in Wei Wuxian’s troubled mind at the moment. Instinct said run, but there was no plausible way he could carry Jiang Cheng out and fend off a vengeful spirit. The only viable option left was to prepare for a fight.

As Wei Wuxian gripped his side to unsheathe his faithful Suibian, he glanced down with an instant shock. The sword was not at his side. He had likely left it in his room before their drinking game had even ensued. That would absolutely do him no good in his current predicament. This only meant he would have to be creative. Thankfully for the absentminded fool, creativity was his strong suit.

Though before Wei Wuxian could even begin to concoct a plan, the sound of rustling from behind caused him to swiftly pivot on one foot like a barn door. His eyes opened wide upon the sight of Jiang Cheng standing. Wei Ying quickly rushed over in hopes of convincing his stubborn friend to sit back down, but alas, he was quickly halted in his tracks when Jiang Cheng violently swatted toward him.

“I’m fine. Focus,” Jiang Cheng barked. Even in his weakened state, the proud heir refused to go down without a fight. He took a deep breath and forced his body to straighten. Where the man lacked compassion, he made up for in sheer will power.

Against his own frustration, Wei Wuxian kept silent. Wei Ying knew very well after all of these years growing up with the stubborn man that he would yield to no man, woman, or spirit. It seemed as though they were in this fight together, but their time to think up a plan had diminished before either could prepare. Time for Plan B, improvising on the spot.

As the door creaked open, a vibrant white aura slipped through. It emanated like the light of a firefly. As the door continued to open, the ghostly figure of the woman they had all witnessed before showed, yet her face was hidden behind a plain white mask. However, the mask seemed paper thin even though it was not see through, yet even more bizarre were the random cracks encompassing the mask itself. She again levitated a foot above the floor with her back hunched. Though, she stood idol in the doorway as if she were waiting for a command.

Both men stood like frozen sculptures before the woman. It was not a sight either had ever seen before, and in truth, neither knew how to react to this situation. Wei Wuxian had anticipated the woman may disappear again to later reappear behind them. Jiang Cheng hypothesized the spirit would immediately begin an attack.

“Should we just...wait?” Wei Ying asked out of sheer honesty. While his somber eyes were glued to the spirit before him, his mind was shuffling through ideas as if his mind was a full library. Each idea held merit, yet it was a crap shoot whether it would work in this situation. Alas, this was the first vengeful spirit he had ever met who did not seem all too vengeful…

“Shut up,”Jiang Cheng snapped. An overwhelming feeling to draw closer to the spirit overcame him. The feeling was warm and trusting. In all logic, it was surely a trap, yet he began to step closer to the spirit. It was then that she moved as if insync with his movement. Wei Wuxian reacted instantly, stepping in between the two as he hollered,”What are you doing?!”

“She’s not the spirit reaping souls,”Jiang Cheng said, abruptly halting as Wei Ying stepped in his way. Why he felt this way was a mystery even to himself, yet he knew the way he felt was true.

As for Wei Wuxian’s valiant efforts, they were readily in vain. The spirit passed through him as if he were air, nearly stealing the breath from his lungs. He gasped not only for the lack of oxygen in his being but from shock. The spirit reached for Jiang Cheng’s half raised hand and touched the cursed mark. In horror, Wei Ying watched as the aura once surrounding the floating woman surrounded itself around the mark. He yearned for the strength to move, yet his actions were rendered useless.

As the purple~ish mark was enslaved by the white aura, a sense of relief filled Jiang Cheng almost instantly. The purple began to fade from his skin as did the woman in white. In time, her faint outline was all that remained as the mark faded completely, and then, in the blink of an eye, so did she. When she disappeared, Wei Ying gasped for as much air as he could muster, evidently coughing from not taking staggered breaths as he doubled over.

“A-Are you-“

“I’m fine,”Jiang Cheng interrupted as he examined his hand, twirling it from palm to back a couple of times. The mark had completely disappeared and his strength fully recovered. It seemed tonight would continue to grow stranger by the second.

“Oh, good! I mean, it’s not like I was worried or anything,”Wei Wuxian said after taking a deep breath to refill his lungs. He patted off his clothes, feeling there would be some sort of residue from the ghastly figure. However, there was not. As usual, Wei Ying effortlessly played the event off as though it were a fallen leaf upon a flowing river. He continued,”Do you think she’s gone? For good?”

After a much needed eye roll, Jiang Cheng turned to the window behind them. An unpleasant feeling drew his attention to the vast wilderness in his view. If they were going to find their answer, something told him their journey must partake outside of the Jin residence. Even now, _she_ was guiding him, but to what? For what reason? Those questions would have to be answered in due time. Jiang Cheng did not turn back to his brother. Instead, he shook his head and stared into the dark, gloomy landscape as he said,”No. She will act as our guide.”

“Huh?” Wei Ying said but was briskfully cut off by two men entering the room. Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng quickly turned their attention to the sudden guests. To Wei Wuxian’s excitement, Lan Wangji entered the room with his brother trailing behind.

“Is everything alright?” Lan Xichen asked, glancing up at Jiang Cheng. The door’s openness on top of a sudden white light and random hollering had given The Twin Jades of Lan the impression that something troublesome was afoot. Though, to their surprise, everyone seemed in better spirits than when they had left.

“Yep! Looks like the she-spirit was helping us out. Are you two okay?” Wei Wuxian questioned upon seeing a hint of concern flood Lan Wangji. Though, the pious man quickly regained his full composure with that sudden question. As for Lan Xichen, his beautiful mug remained confused with Wei Ying’s words.

It was Jiang Cheng who took the lead for this. Sitting silently on the bed, the man took a deep sigh to gain everyone’s attention. When Jiang Cheng was successful, he said,”Sit. We have a lot to explain.”

*****************************************************

With not a guard unaccounted for nor servant misplaced, Jin Zixuan still felt uneasy. While no one had shown up missing, not one of them could be found in their residence. That was, all except one. Mianmian had sought out Jin Zixuan soon after he and Wen Ning left Lan Xichen’s room to fill him in on a curious conundrum.

“Who gave them the orders?!” Jin Zixuan hollered in a fit of rage. He had _never_ heard of an entire staff having the _night off_ to do as they pleased, even freshening the deal with a payout to a local bar, the night before such an important event for the Jin Sect. It was preposterous in every sense of the word, yet his frustration laid in the amount of those who believed this falsity to bare truth.

This was the first time Mianmian had ever seen Jin Zixuan this flabbergasted and distraught, but for good reason. She glanced at Wen Ning who chose to stay completely quiet in this instant. The quiet boy did not even raise his gaze from the floor. Mianmian glanced back at Jin Zixuan as she attempted to better the situation before dropping more unpleasant news with a soft tone,”Many of us ignored the note, taking to the kitchen and dining hall to prepare for tomorrow.”

With a somewhat comforted exhale, Jin Zixuan nodded and explained,”My anger does not lie with you, Mianmian. Thank you for informing me.”

“We should inform Wei Ying and the others,”Wen Ning whispered almost inaudibly. He raised his head carefully to not catch the but end of Jin Zixuan’s wrath. As expected, Sect Leader Jin heard none of what the quiet man said, yet Mianmian heard it all. Mianmian reiterated what was said,”Yes, we should inform all who are involved. I can bring all of the staff to the dining hall to await your return.”

There was someone else Wen Ning felt should be involved even if it meant he would face the possibility of being grounded to his room for the rest of the night. Even so, he felt seeking out the smartest person he knew could not hurt everyone else or the investigation. Wen Ning quickly added,”I will meet you later.”

Jin Zixuan did not speak, he only nodded in agreement. There was no time to waste on trivial matters. Jin Zixuan turned to leave, Mianmian and Wen Ning doing the same. Mianmian kept hold of the rest of her information for when they would later meet. Though off in the distance, a pair of new eyes watched as the three separated. His eyes as dark as a raven’s rocked back and forth between the three before focusing intently on one. With a misshapen grin that overtook one side of his face, the man giggled,”...and so goes the weakest link.”


End file.
